FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates the general configuration of the portable telecommunications test system described in the above-referenced co-pending '317 application, the system comprising a hand-held personal computer-based test and communications unit 10, through which a craftsperson, who has been directed by a dispatch center to a service site, which may be remotely located with respect to a central office 12 serving a line to be tested (or line under test (LUT)) 16, may communicate with central office 12 and with a generic test head 14 that is connectable to the LUT 16.
As described in the '317 and Heins et al applications, the test system functionality of the supervisory control mechanism executed by the internal processor of the craftsperson's hand-held computer unit 10 is intended to provide the service technician with a user-friendly, icon-based, test procedure for facilitating the craftsperson performance of various tests on a selected line. In so doing, the craftsperson's portable computer is able to interact with multiple types of existing operational support systems, as well as provide a platform for add-on information exchanges.
For this purpose, via a contact-sensitive (e.g., pen touch-operated) video display panel 15, and an associated keyboard 17 of hand-held computer unit 10, the craftsperson may selectively invoke one or more test operations represented by a set of analysis and test function-associated icons. In response to these selections, the internal control processor of unit 10 executes communication and signal processing operations associated with an identified test. The test head 14 proper performs data acquisition on demand from the personal computer unit 10, including the execution of functional tests. Test head 14 and hand-held personal computer unit 10 can be expanded through plug-in cards and software programs for coupling with various diverse types of communication links.
In order to communicate with a remote network facility (central office 12 or data center 18 associated with the central office 12), the craftsperson's computer unit 10 contains a transceiver interface, which is further interfaced with a communication and signal processing sub-system on board the technician's service vehicle or van 20. The communication and signal processing sub-system on board the van, in turn, links the craftsperson's portable unit 10 with the remote network facility, via either a short haul wireless link, or by way of an auxiliary back-up wireline link. The respective communications interfaces within the craftsperson's portable unit and the van's sub-system may be implemented in the manner described in co-pending application Ser. No. 08/235,317, filed coincident herewith, by Onofrio Schillaci et al, entitled: "Wireless--Wireline Communications Selection Mechanism Resident in Craftsperson's Portable Test and Communications Device" (hereinafter referred to as the Schillaci et al application), assigned to the assignee of the present application and the disclosure of which is herein incorporated.
As further described in the '317 application, the craftsperson may be provided with an auxiliary voice-activated, wireless headset for conducting wireless voice communications with hand-held computer unit. Such a wireless headset can be used with the hand-held computer and the test head to run automated tests, with an audio go/no-go indication of the test results being provided to the craftsperson.
The service van's communication and signal processing sub-system 22 includes a battery holder/charging station 24, a printer 26, a long haul wireless interface 28 and a network server 29. Battery holder/charging station 24 is configured to receive and store the portable hand-held computer unit 10, so that the computer unit 10 may be secured and stowed, and its associated power supply (battery pack) may be recharged, when not in use. Printer 26 is available to print out various test results or other information. Long haul wireless interface 28 provides a wireless gateway to long haul wireless services, while network server 29 contains a file server that provides additional processing power and electronic data storage. Network server 29 is operative to perform auxiliary data processing tasks on demand from the computer unit 10.
Central office facility 12 typically includes a central office switch 31, central office test devices 33, and a line-conditioning device 35, such as a direct access test unit (DATU), or (SASS) transmission conditioning system. The central office test devices 33 are capable of providing an interface with various operational support systems of the data center 18, such as a service vehicle dispatch, outside plant record database, automated testing systems, and electronic network schematics. The line-conditioning device (e.g. DATU or SASS) 35 within central office 12 provides the craftsperson with the ability to selectively conduct a number of tests of a line, by invoking specified key combinations (sequences) from a standard craftsperson's telephone test set.
In the course of conducting a test via test head 14, the craftsperson's personal computer unit 10 receives the measured data from the test head and operates on the data to convert the measurement results into usable parameter information. This usable parameter information is then linked to the service vehicle's communication sub-system 22, so that appropriate commands may be forwarded to a line-conditioning device or automated test equipment in the central office 12.
In a non-limiting example of responding to a trouble ticket that has been issued by a dispatch center and contains a customer service request, the system of FIG. 1 operates as follows. After being dispatched to and travelling to a test site (using service vehicle 20), the craftsperson proceeds to couple the test head 14 to the line under test 16. Using the portable computer unit 10, the technician then establishes communications with the test head 14 and, via the communication sub-system 22 in van 20, with the central office, so that one or more tests of the line may be conducted.
Once the technician has coupled the test head 14 to the line under test, the test application software resident in hand-held computer unit 10 is operative to display icons associated with respective test procedures for evaluating the LUT via the contact-sensitive computer display panel 15. In response to the service technician selecting a desired test function, the resident test software of computer unit 10 proceeds to interactively generate additional menus, through which the craftsperson specifies further choices for defining parameters required for implementing the selected test. Based upon the choices selected by the craftsperson, computer unit 10 assembles and transmits a message to the test head and to the central office for establishing what test or tests are to be conducted and the parameters associated with those tests.
When a selected test is invoked, the test head measures the response of the line to one or more conditions placed on the line, and transmits the test response data back to computer unit 10 for storage in memory and analysis in accordance with an on-board test or line analysis program. Based upon the results of the processed information, the craftsperson may direct the test device to perform one or more additional tests, until the line has been completely tested.